CONTRACTS: Striker signs short term deal

Carlisle United Football Club can confirm that striker Derek Asamoah has agreed an extension to his current deal which keeps him at Brunton Park until 5 February 2015.

Ghanaian born Asamoah, 33, teamed up with the Cumbrians shortly after manager Keith Curle took post and signed an initial one month contract with the club at the beginning of November.

He has made twelve appearances since joining the club and has scored five goals – all of which came in his first six outings for the Blues.

Manager Keith Curle said: “We know where we are with Derek and we’ve all seen what he can add to the mix.

“He knows he needs to recapture the form he showed when he first started getting pitch time. He’s fast and he will chase everything, and we want to see more of that as we go on from here.

“He knows there’s an opportunity for him to make a mark and we’re hoping he will kick on and continue to help us with what we need to do.

"The deal with done with him is full of incentives, which can change as we go on through the month. When Derek needs to do something you get a different animal, and I like that. The rewards are there for him if he can produce what we know he is capable of out on the pitch.”

Asamoah started his career with the Protec Football Academy in North London and spent his football apprenticeship with Hampton and Richmond Borough before signing for Slough Town in 2001. He was spotted by scouts as he registered a number of impressive displays and earned a trial, and subsequently his first professional deal, with Northampton Town that same year.

Moves to Mansfield and Lincoln followed, but it was 8 goals in 17 games in a loan spell with Chester City which caught the eye of Shrewsbury Town. He bagged 11 goals in 48 outings for the Shrews before his move to OSG Nice brought him two years in French football.

He had a brief spell with Hamilton in 2009 before making a permanent move to sign for Lokomotiv Sofia in Bulgaria in time for the start of their season that year. He joined the Pohang Steelers, billed as the most successful club in Asia, in 2011 and made over 100 appearances with two clubs in South Korea before returning to England during the summer.